BSNL plans 4G rollout in 14 circles

Indian state-owned operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is preparing to launch 4G LTE services in 14 telecoms circles, the Economic Times reports. The company will use a 20MHz block of spectrum in the 2500MHz band for the new service, and is upgrading existing GSM base stations with 4G technology, although it has yet to finalise a timeline for the launch of LTE. In January, BSNL demonstrated 4G technology in Chandigarh, showcasing maximum download speeds of 35Mbps, although a number of rival operators, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel and Idea Cellular, are already offering commercial LTE services, while mobile start-up Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL) is expected to launch the technology later this year.